South African BPO Market, 2017

A Global Perspective on What Companies Need to Know to Survive in a Digital World

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Published: 6 Dec 2017

Digital transformation is a journey, but one that companies need to embark on if they are to survive not just the onslaught of traditional competition, but new market entrants. It is also a necessary component in keeping pace with the rapidly changing consumer base.
South Africa’s customer service delivery is predominantly dominated by the BPO market, specifically contact centers. The BPO sector contributes ZAR50 billion to towards the national GDP and employed 222,500 people in 2016. The domestic BPO market represents 85.4% of the market, and is the backbone for the development and expansion of the offshore BPO market.

Research Scope

The global technology trends that will be shaping the BPO market in South Africa are automation, data analytics, Internet of Things (IoT) Artificial Intelligence (AI). The focus of this research is to understand the global technological changes that will be affecting the way service is delivered to customers. The study will focus on understanding the South African BPO market landscape, the changes in the BPO ecosystem as a result of innovative technologies, the key trends shaping customer experience management, and the growth opportunities and Companies to Action (C2A).

Research Highlights

While there are too many developing technology components to delve into in this insight, the following areas should be on the radar of any company starting on the digital transformation path.

• Emergence of the Internet of Things (IoT): Companies need to investigate the impact that device
connectivity, cloud computing, and advanced analytics can have on changing the customer
experience.
• Security: Companies need to keep abreast and plan for the ongoing security threats to digital
assets.
• Big Data: Big Data is moving beyond the realms of data projects and into enriching what
companies know about customers.
• Advanced Analytics: Companies are well advised to investigate how to make use of advancements
in analytics. Understanding customer wants, needs, and behaviors and predicting outcomes is key
to owning the customer experience. Areas to investigate include advancements in AI, machine
learning, and speech and text analytics.
• Virtual Assistants, Intelligent Personal Assistants, and Robotic Process Automation: Customers
prefer to self-serve before contacting a business. Embellishing self-service options from the
growing ranks of digital personal assistants can help differentiate and transform customer
interaction.
• Mobility: Companies need to meet customers where they live and that is on mobile devices.
Extending business access to the device of choice for the consumer is key to changing the
customer experience and cementing brand loyalty.